Ever since Links 386 came out, golf games on the PC have never
been the same. At that time, the clean graphics and the realistic
gameplay won out many golf fans on the PC. After numerous
sequels, it seems that Links LS is still on top of the pack. This year,
however, golf fans have been treated by some of the best golf
games, most noticeably EA Sports' offering of Tiger Woods 99 and
the arcadish Peter Jacobsen's Golden Tee Golf. Not to be outdone,
Links LS 99, featuring Arnold Palmer, was released. So how does
it stack up?

The graphics in Links LS are almost photographic quality. It has
unlimited resolution, 1600x1200 and upwards if you have the video
RAM, and 16.7 million colors. There are also 8, plus Arnold Palmer,
golfer animations. Not opting for the 3D accelerator support, Links
LS does away with those ugly pixelated trees and objects found in
other games. It also does not need an extremely fast computer to
run. The different seasons in the courses are faithfully rendered.
The fall season in the Latrobe Country Club contains one of the
best set of sceneries I've ever seen in a golf game. What's missing
though is the animation that made Tiger Woods exceptionally
good in terms of graphics. What's better is really up to one's liking
and choice. I'd rather have the TV-style presentation Tiger Woods
99 gave as opposed to the photographic slides separated by
rendering time Links LS has. In my opinion, it really takes away
from the graphics to wait for those renderings to finish. Compared
to Links LS 98, it is also not much of an improvement at all.
Actually, I canít see any noticeable, or any for that matter,
improvement in the graphics. So the overall product, graphic wise,
is merely average.

Maybe Iíve been spoiled by EA Sportsí presentation in Tiger
Woods 99, but Links LS 99 has barely any sound. There are the
usual sounds in the background: birds chippering, wind blowing,
and people chattering. The other sounds in the game are the club
hitting the ball and the extremely scarce commentary on the game
itself. Since golf is a thinking sport, sound isnít really an essential
part of the game.

Offering so-so graphics and unfavorable sound, what does Links
LS have to offer? Well, the extremely realistic gameplay and shots
are back. Access Software also claims that the shots from the sand
and the tall grass are more realistic. To add to that, you have 5
courses to play on: St. Andrews, Latrobe Country Club (Summer),
Latrobe Country Club (Fall), Bay Hill and Entrada at Snow Canyon.
These courses, as you can see from the screenshots, are faithfully
rendered to represent their real counterparts. You can even get
lost and find a house right in front of you. If 5 courses aren't
enough, (the more the better, right?), you can import courses from
Links 386 (SVGA ones) to play here.

Another thing added is the Power Shot. It is similar to the analog
swing found in many other golf games. Unlike the shot setup in the
other golf games though, the Power Shot is designed to you move
your mouse side to side, rather than forward. Moving your mouse
side to side takes away from that realistic feeling, since in real life,
you would swing your club forward and towards the ball. I really
tried to get used to this shot setup, but after a few hours of
frustration (mainly due to the lack of power even with mouse
sensitivity adjusted to the maximum and the difficulty to aim
correctly), I just went back to the 2-click swing. It really pales in
comparison to the analog shots found in Peter Jacobsenís Golden
Tee Golf and Tiger Woods 99. Other than that, the 3-click swing
and the 2-click swing is just like in Links LS 98. There is also only
the simulation mode. In Tiger Woods, you can choose to play a
simulation or an arcade game (which include the infamous Tiger
Shot). Access does offer an arcadish golf game due this year
though, Links LS Extreme. The most noticeable addition found in
Links LS 99 is probably the MOP game designer. With this feature,
you are able to design what kind of game you want to play. This
makes for unlimited replay value. There is also a large set of rules
you can play under (the Links LS "certified" rules).

If the joy of playing against the computer wears off, there is
support for TCP/IP over the internet, modem, LAN, and even
MPlayer. Whatís lacking, however, is a network dedicated to
multiplayer. Peter Jacobsenís Golden Tee Golf offers Golden Tee
Net, which allows you to find many people trying to setup
multiplayer golf games. Tiger Woods 99 also offers a similar
feature, with a greater population of people playing than Golden
Tee Net.

All in all, Links LS 99 is definitely not a bad golf simulation. It is
definitely not the worst golf game out there, but in my opinion, the
Links LS series have been bested by the competition.

Golf, a very boring sport if played in real life. Links 99, a great
game for a boring sport. Some of you will say that golf is not
boring. I grew up in a household where golf was very popular, but
I never seemed to catch on. Sure, I played a game here and there
but never anything serious. I was always playing my computer
games. Then I found a jewel of a game known as Links 386 Pro. I
about died. The game had mind-numbing graphics and they
displayed faster than light on my 386. I was impressed and I was
hooked. I quickly got all the courses for the game and played
round after round after round of this enthralling, visually appealing
game. I even liked the little squeaky bird sounds. Ever since then
I have been hooked on the Links series. I have played them all
and hope to play the rest of them. When Links LS came out, I was
astounded to find even better graphics, better sounds, and better
animations. I didn't think this game could get better. Every year
the game never ceases to amaze me. I find myself playing the
game hours on end, just wanting to get one less stroke for the
course, trying for that eagle instead of the birdie on Hole 7. Enter
Links LS 99, the newest game to enter the virtual golf world. This
game excels in every aspect of a PC sports game.

Graphics:

Well the graphics have definitely improved since I played Links
386, obviously. However they are still not exactly what I would
call snap shots of a golf course. Again I am no golf buff but I have
been on my fair share of courses. Including one of the courses
included with this game. The crowd in the background and on the
sides looks somewhat pixelated, and sometimes you can literally
be standing right on top of them. However nothing can prepare
you for playing this game in 1280x1024 in 16.7 million colors. If
you want to see good graphics, then this is your game. Close
objects aside, everything from the grass to the clouds and even the
backdrop looks exceptional. It makes me wonder if they actually
took pictures of the courses then real-time sized them. Not only are
the graphics truly exceptional, but they load with incredible speed.
I thought the original loaded fast on my old 386. LS 99 loads in a
blink of an eye. By the way, it makes for a helluva lot faster golf
game. The different animations spice up the game a little. It
would be very dull if all you had was a guy swinging a piece of
metal. Well you have that plus more. Your player actually reacts
to what has happened. Miss a six-inch putt and the player will
shake his head in his hands.

Sound:

You don't play a golf game and expect to have digitized music and
off the wall special effects. The sound is nothing compared to the
breathing of Quake or the music of Forsaken. It's simply the
background sounds of Nature. Pull out your mom's waterfall and
rainforest tapes because that's what you'll be hearing while
playing this game. You have your basic golf sounds, the ball going
into the cup, the hum of the club cutting through the air, the
thwacking sound of the ball meeting your club. The ball, however,
makes a weird sound when hitting a tree. In my real life golf
experience, I never have heard a tree sound like that when it got
hit. (Believe me I am an expert on tree hitting, damn that slice.)
There is a fair amount of commentary, but again it's golf. It's not a
sport where you need an announcer like for a NASCAR race. Golf
is a quiet game, I am glad they kept that feel in LS 99.

Gameplay:

Even my father can play this game, and all he can do is double
click and move the mouse around very sporadically. I played a
round with him and after a few holes you get the hang of the
swinging icon. Simply press and hold the mouse button, let go at
the top of your stroke and click again at the bottom. Too far and
you'll slice or too soon and you'll hook. Not to mention you can
give the ball a power shot. This is my personal favorite. When
hitting the ball you can actually overswing; with the gain in power
you lose control. But who needs control when you're just going for
distance? It's quite fun to play this sort of game with your friend.
During the first few times you play you will definitely need to use
those mulligans. After all, that's how you get to be good at this
game. Keep swinging until you fingers hurt. The game is all
about timing and watching the green. You can adjust variables
like green speed and wind, but unless you're a true golfer you may
want to leave these settings alone. The slope of the green is
indicated by a grid that comes up each time you are putting. You
can easily see where the green slopes and bends as the grid is a
good enough indicator to get the best putt possible.

Fun Factor:

Definitely polar. Either you like it or you don't. If golf games are
for you then this will be the best and most enjoyable experience of
PC golf you can get. I found myself getting out of my chair and
screaming when I hit the cup on the side and see my ball ricochet
off into the fringe. If you have never played PC golf this may be
fun for you as well. It has a small learning curve, however it is
quick to overcome.

Multiplayer:

A multiplayer game if I ever saw one. Not only can you play over
your local network and over the Internet, there a dozens (30 or so)
different types of games. Most people know of the simple stroke
game, well there is also skins, and many other different versions,
with sub-versions. This game never ends when it comes to
multiplayer.

Overall Impression:

Get this game. Two big thumbs up. If golf is for you this is a must
for your gaming library. Even if you're not a computer sports fan,
pick this up, you may be willing to ditch your real-time strategy
game in favor of a simpler and quieter game. A game where
pounding people into the ground (NFL Blitz) or shooting people
with a BFG (Doom) is nowhere to be found. This game truly
touches every aspect of a golf experience. Even if you're like me
and cannot play a round of golf without throwing your clubs in the
water, pick this up, you may surprise yourself.